Asked by: Laurence Robertson (Conservative - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when he or his predecessors last discussed the provision of compensation to UK-based victims of Libyan-sponsored IRA terrorism with his Libyan counterpart; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Gillian Keegan
The UK Government reiterates its sympathy for UK victims of Qadhafi-sponsored IRA terrorism and for all victims of the Troubles. The then Minister for the Middle East and North Africa set out the Government's position on compensation for UK victims of Qadhafi-sponsored IRA terrorism in a Written Ministerial Statement made on 23 March 2021. The responsibility for providing compensation specifically for the actions of the Qadhafi regime lies with the Libyan State. The Government has repeatedly urged the Libyan authorities, including at the highest levels of the Libyan government, to engage with UK victims and their representatives, and to address their claims for compensation.
Asked by: Laurence Robertson (Conservative - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what channels he intends to use to disburse new (a) humanitarian, (b) food security and (c) livelihoods funding to Ethiopia; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Gillian Keegan
Ministers are currently reviewing a business case for a new humanitarian and resilience building programme in Ethiopia. We will announce plans for providing further support in due course.
Asked by: Laurence Robertson (Conservative - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure the approval of new business cases to provide humanitarian and food security support in Ethiopia; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Gillian Keegan
Ministers are currently reviewing a business case for a new humanitarian and resilience building programme in Ethiopia. We will announce plans for providing further support in due course.
Asked by: Laurence Robertson (Conservative - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the food security situation in East Africa.
Answered by Gillian Keegan
Across East Africa over 68 million people require humanitarian aid due to a combination of pressures including an unprecedented fourth consecutive season of failed rains, conflict (including the impacts of Russia's invasion of Ukraine), COVID-19 and flooding. Of this number, over 51 million people face severe food insecurity, of which 700,000 are facing famine-like conditions in South Sudan, Somalia and Ethiopia. In the Horn of Africa, as a result of the drought, an estimated 26 million people are forecast to face severe levels of food insecurity by February 2023. Recent data from the Bay region in Somalia projects that in the absence of timely, scaled-up, multi-sectoral assistance, famine is likely to occur between October to December this year. Across the Horn of Africa an unprecedented fourth consecutive season of failed rains is causing a region-wide crisis. Meteorological agencies forecast warnings of further failed rains between October and December this year, which risk deepening the already critical humanitarian situation. Severe humanitarian needs will persist into 2023.
Asked by: Laurence Robertson (Conservative - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what plans he has to publish the Shawcross Report into Libyan-sponsored IRA terrorism in the UK; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Gillian Keegan
The UK Government reiterates its sympathy for UK victims of Qadhafi-sponsored IRA terrorism and indeed for all victims of the Troubles. The Government set out its position on Mr Shawcross's report on compensation for UK victims of Qadhafi-sponsored IRA terrorism in a Written Ministerial Statement made on 23 March 2021. Mr Shawcross's report was commissioned as an internal scoping report, to provide internal advice to Ministers. Its content is based on private, confidential conversations and information shared on this basis. The responsibility for providing compensation specifically for the actions of the Qadhafi regime lies with the Libyan State. The Government has repeatedly urged the Libyan authorities, including at the highest levels of the Libyan government, to engage with UK victims and their representatives, and to address their claims for compensation.
Asked by: Laurence Robertson (Conservative - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the humanitarian situation in Yemen.
Answered by Gillian Keegan
The UK is actively monitoring the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis in Yemen. We fully support the UN Special Envoy, Hans Grundberg, and urge the parties to engage constructively with the efforts he is leading towards peace, including by implementing the truce and the associated confidence building measures. The UK shares the UN assessment of the humanitarian situation published in the 2022 Yemen Humanitarian Needs Overview. We meet regularly with our partners in Yemen to evaluate the situation and have conducted several visits to Yemen to assess the humanitarian situation in the last 12 months. The UK has played a leading role in responding to the humanitarian crisis, committing over £1 billion in aid since the conflict began. We will spend at least £88 million in UK aid over the course of this financial year 2022/23.
Asked by: Laurence Robertson (Conservative - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to increase the flow of UK funding to (a) Ethiopia and (b) other countries currently experiencing severe hunger crises; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Gillian Keegan
In FY 2022/23, the UK aims to provide approximately £156 million in humanitarian aid across East Africa. Our support is providing millions of people with essential services and supplies including food, water, and healthcare.
On 21 September, the Minister for Development Vicky Ford MP announced a package of assistance for Somalia, to alleviate the impact of drought and address the risk of famine. This brings the UK's total support to Somalia since 1 April 2022 to £52.8 million covering humanitarian, protection, health and nutrition support.
Ministers are currently reviewing a business case for a new humanitarian and resilience building programme in Ethiopia. We will announce plans for providing further support in due course.
Asked by: Laurence Robertson (Conservative - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with the government of Ethiopia on the recent reported arrest of journalists in that country; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Vicky Ford
We are concerned by restrictions to media freedom in Ethiopia, including the arrest of many journalists. The UK has consistently called for an end to infringements on media freedom - journalists must have the right to report freely. I raised the issue of large-scale detentions in Ethiopia with Minister for Justice Gedion on 20 January and plan to write to Justice Minister Gedion regarding arrests of journalists and the recent expulsion of a British journalist. The British Embassy in Addis Ababa tweeted on 18 May urging the Government of Ethiopia to protect and uphold media freedom.
Asked by: Laurence Robertson (Conservative - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the humanitarian situation in Tigray.
Answered by Vicky Ford
The humanitarian situation in Tigray is grave. An estimated 5.2 million people require life-saving aid including 400,000 people who are experiencing catastrophic famine conditions. The UK welcomes the resumption of overland humanitarian delivery to Tigray on 1 April. However, aid delivery remains insufficient and there is an urgent requirement for sustained and unimpeded humanitarian access. Since 1 April approximately 875 humanitarian trucks have reached Tigray including a convoy of 163 trucks which arrived in Mekelle on 23 May. The UN assess that more than 100 trucks are required each day.
Asked by: Laurence Robertson (Conservative - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has had recent discussions with the government of Ethiopia on (a) ending the conflict in Tigray and (b) the role that will play in encouraging businesses to return to and expand their operations in that country.
Answered by Vicky Ford
We welcome the cessation of hostilities announced on 24 March and the subsequent commitment to scale-up the delivery of life-saving humanitarian aid to Tigray. There can be no military solution to the conflict. We have consistently called on all parties to the conflict to stop fighting and find a political solution to the conflict through negotiations. I have underlined this message in meetings in the past weeks with the Ethiopian Finance Minister and Education Minister. I also raised this issue with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy during our meeting on 29 January.
The conflict has contributed to a challenging economic situation in Ethiopia. Bringing the conflict to an end will help to return Ethiopia's economy to rapid growth, and give British businesses the confidence that they need to invest. Once peace is secured, the UK stands ready to support Ethiopia's recovery from the conflict, supporting economic stability and growing the pipeline of potential UK investments.